Wanda Sykes interviewed on the Fox affiliate in her hometown of Portsmouth, Va.
(wvbt)

(Newser)
–
Viewers expecting something fresh and new out of The Wanda Sykes Show—as the unlikely combination of Fox and an African-American lesbian might seem to promise—were sorely disappointed, writes Ken Tucker. The comedian and actor "is terrific: at ease and bawdy," he writes for Entertainment Weekly. But last night's premiere was "awkward: self-conscious and constrained."

The first half of the hour-long show sat better with Barry Garron of the Hollywood Reporter. He found the politically tinged late-night offering "a smart start, though it had a few potholes." As for the second half, a boozy panel discussion of not-particularly-topical topics, "You could have found more insight on Hollywood Squares."